VFW Will Defeat Bachmann Plan
January 31st, 2011 . by TexasFredVFW Will Defeat Bachmann Plan
“No way, no how, will we let this proposal get any traction in Congress.”
January 28, 2011
WASHINGTON, D.C., January 28, 2011 — America’s oldest and largest major combat veterans’ organization announced it will do everything within its power to defeat a plan introduced by Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) to cut $4.5 billion from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“No way, no how, will we let this proposal get any traction in Congress,” said Richard L. Eubank, the national commander of the 2.1 million-member Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. and its Auxiliaries.
On her website, the three-term congresswoman lists more than $400 billion in suggestions to cut federal spending. The VA suggestion would cap increases to VA healthcare spending, and reduce disability compensation to account for Social Security Disability Insurance payments — in other words, an offset. She says her plan is intended to generate discussion.
“The only discussion the VFW wants is to tell the congresswoman that her plan is totally out of step with America’s commitment to our veterans,” said Eubank, a retired Marine and Vietnam combat veteran from Eugene, Ore.
“There are certain things you do not do when our nation is at war, and at the top of that list is not caring for our wounded and disabled servicemen and women when they return home,” he said. “I want the congresswoman to join us in a tour of the Minneapolis VA Medical Center and Poly Trauma Center the next time she’s in her home district to witness firsthand the great work the VA does every day to heal their wounds and ease their pain. Then I want her to look those disabled veterans in the eye and tell them their service and sacrifice is too expensive for the nation to bear.
“The day this nation can’t afford to take care of her veterans is the day this nation should quit creating them,” said Eubank.
Story Here:
VFW Will Defeat Bachmann Plan
There are some things in this world that need to held as sacrosanct. Our troops, and their care after their duty has been done, after they come home, is one of the most important issues America faces.
Michele Bachmann - Obviously NOT a Veteran
I know we need to cut the budget. I know that the deficit needs to be brought under control, but do we do so on the backs of the American soldier?
Our troops, on far too many occasions, give this nation ALL they have to give, their lives. So, we give them a military burial, with honors, and on Memorial Day we honor their sacrifice. I think that is a wonderful observance, we should never forget our fallen heroes.
But what about those that have made great sacrifice on the field of battle, and lived?
What about those brave troops that have lost an arm? Both arms? A leg, or, in many cases, BOTH legs? What about the troops that have lost their vision? Or have been maimed and burned? Scared for life and in need of care that they just aren’t able to provide for themselves?
What about those that suffer unseen wounds? Mental damage, PTSD, nightmares, sheer terror at the sound of a loud POP, Gulf War illness, radiation sickness from exposure to depleted uranium? What do we do about them?
Michele Bachmann can generate all the discussion she wants with this little faux pas, but all she has done, in MY opinion, is show the American people that she’s not nearly as smart as we may have thought her to be. I had great respect for Bachmann until I saw this piece. No more.
Anyone that wants to discuss taking away money from our Veterans is not worth the time it takes to tell them to go STRAIGHT TO HELL! And that is exactly where Bachmann can go as far as I am concerned.
Do any of you remember this?
The leader of the nation’s largest veterans organization says he is “deeply disappointed and concerned�? after a meeting with President Obama today to discuss a proposal to force private insurance companies to pay for the treatment of military veterans who have suffered service-connected disabilities and injuries. The Obama administration recently revealed a plan to require private insurance carriers to reimburse the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in such cases.
Obama to Bill Combat Wounded for Medical Care
OK, so, who remembers this little story?
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) – The Veterans Affairs department says a patient has tested positive for HIV after being exposed to contaminated equipment at a medical facility.
The VA reported previously that hepatitis has been found in 16 patients. But the agency says there is no way to prove the patients contracted the illnesses because of treatment at their facilities.
More than 10,000 veterans have been warned to get blood tests because they could have been exposed to contamination at facilities Tennessee, Georgia and Miami. All three sites failed to properly sterilize endoscopic equipment between treatments. The VA has said patients could have been exposed to body fluids from a previous patient.
The VA on Monday did not return telephone calls and e-mails about the positive HIV test.
VA patient tests positive for HIV after mistakes
And I am still PISSED OFF about this one.
MIAMI - Officials say more than 3,000 patients at a Veterans Affairs hospital in Miami had colonoscopies with equipment that wasn’t properly sterilized.
They’ve been told they should be tested for HIV and other diseases.
The VA insists the risk of infection is minimal and only involved tubing on equipment, not any device that actually touched a patient. But it’s the second recent announcement of errors during colonoscopies at VA facilities.
Unsterile equipment used on Miami veterans
So, considering all of this, considering the sacrifices out Vets have made for us and this nation, considering the care that the VA hospitals provide, the sometimes disastrous care, considering all that, we really need to discuss cutting $4.5 BILLON from the VA budget?
I am NOT a foolish man, I KNOW that there are serious needs for *rework* within the VA and all of it’s branches. There’s probably a few over paid folks that need to be given their walking papers, but for ANYONE to suggest a $4.5 BILLION reduction in the money that goes to the care of the most deserving heroes in this nation exposes that person to be far too inexperienced and ill-informed to ever take the reins of power in this nation.
Barack Hussein Obama is a disaster to everything that is holy in America, to replace him and his socialist regime is only right. But what do you get when you replace a dim-bulb Democrat with a RINO that hasn’t got a clue?
Another disaster. THAT is what you get! Get CONSERVATIVE America, get the budget under control, but don’t kill American heroes in the process.
In the VA ‘s that I go too I sure could do a lot to cut spending. Like cutting out the jobs, if one can call them that, of those who seemingly have nothing to do but walk around the halls all day, sayin. Ah right, mmmm, Lookin good , etc etc. You get the point.
Second deal is STOP putting civilians in our hospitals. In that I mean those who have never served a day in the military. It is happening folks. Because a VA hospital is connected to a teaching university Medical School they have to allow who ever the Teaching Med School wants to be operated on in what ever hospital they have students, internist and residents. it’s is happening in the Dallas VA right now.
Cut the umpteen administrators who are useless as tits on a boar hog and hire some decent doctors that can speak ENGLISH now some bozo from some third rate country who doesn’t care to begin with.
Bachmann had better reconsider her stand on this or she can forget ever running for a higher office.
Our government has been bloated beyond belief over the past five years. We are looking at a total default of our country in 2037 at our current rate of spending. This has been reduced by ten years in the last two.
With that said, I don’t think we are looking in the right places if this is one of our first considerations. If we know of waste or mismanagement then that needs to be addressed pronto. Anything saved can be re-invested into out vets.
If you want to save billions why not look at the Dept of Energy or the Dept of Education. Both of these are a complete waste of money and have done more to fail in their original charter then any other government program I can think of. The each cost a close to $500 billion each. Now that would be some substantial savings.
What is needed is a cut in social programs and other earmarks…
Veterans benefits are not a social program. If we paid the military Congressional salaries maybe they could afford to pay for the wounds of war. I don’t see any Congressmen or woman willing to stand in line waiting to board that plane or vessel to embark to some distance battle field knowing they might not ever come back…and they get paid WHAT! for doing squat!
This was just a quick response, if I had time to think about it I probably would be cussin’ up a storm…
Norm
If she wants to cut the budget…start with themselves by cutting their salaries in half…..plus put them on the same retirement plan as the rest of the US….along with the same medical care.
Then cut ALL foreign aid to third world countries…as well as cutting welfare to lazy worthless baby makers….and illegal aliens. Cut out free lunch programs and busing. If you need a bus to pick you up for school….you pay for it or walk…I did when I was going to school.
The Military or VA Medical services need to be left alone of increased if anything…NOT cut ! ! !
Am a life member of the VFW. You might want to read “Stolen Valor” by Jug Burkett. Think it might change your opinion a bit concerning the VA. VA is just like any other government bureaucracy with its share of corruption and waste. Am also retired military and the VA medical system would be my last choice for care.
MM26 — If I was dying, VA would be OFF of my list too, and yeah, there are cuts that need to happen at VA, but the care of our troops, former troops, is not it…
Fred - Wounded troops should be medically retired (majority are) and cared for by the active components through Tricare for life. Va has created a cottage industry out of PTSD regestering many that are bogus just to justify their existence.
MM26 — I have been told that by someone that actually works as a councilor for PTSD Vets, and he said a lot of the same thing, BUT, what do we do with the guys that are for real? Tricare is a good thing, but the VA has the facilities, wouldn’t it be more efficient to revamp VA and dump the slugs that are raping the system?
If anything, the VA should be revamped to give the best care available on the planet to our veterans. To cut funds without improving services and keep the promises made to wounded warriors and disabled veterans of every age is dishonest and disgusting. I’m not a vet personally, but I know quite a few who suffer to this day from their service. This is as wrong as it gets!
Fred - With Tricare you have tha ability to see the doc of your choosing albeit with a referal. VA docs while qualified arn’t the quality you can get within the Tricare system. VA needs to be made more efficient, needs major personnel changes throughout. There are many enrolled in the VA system who are not vets because the VA doesn’t do the proper followup. VA needs to be reorganized from bottom up. Also if enrolled in Tricare can use active military medical facilities. In my opinion VA medical system is a preview of Obamacare.
This just doesn’t make sense to me. As far as Conservative politicians go, Bachmann seemed to be pretty good and then she goes and does something like this. Is she trying to win points with the left by throwing the military veterans under the bus? What is wrong with her head?
The problem with most government agencies is when you cut their budget, they don’t get rid of the waste, they get rid of the beneficial programs. In the case of the VA, it’ll be those Veterans who really need to help and medical care that will suffer. It’s like the agencies are doing this to punish us for cutting their budgets.
Let’s just eliminate VA hospitals altogether & give all honorably discharged vets an i.d. that grants them access to the same healthcare that the slugs in Congress have generously given to themselves. And while we’re eliminating, let’s eighty-six the Depts. of Energy, Education, Health & Human Services, and maybe throw in the BATF as well for lagniappe.
Figures. Clean up the mess in Washington on the backs of us vets. BTW, I am out of work and forced to use the VA. Just once I would like to have a doctor there that isn’t a Muslim and trained in one of their hellholes!